20-yr-old kidnapped for ransom rescued, 3 held

PATNA: In a swift action, the police recovered a 20-year-old youth kidnapped for Rs20 lakh ransom from his rented accommodation at Janakpuri Colony on Gola Road under Rupaspur police station area in the state capital at around 11pm on Thursday. The victim was identified as Abhishek Kumar, a student of BA part-II in a city college.At least three criminals barged into his flat where Abhishek lived with his two other friends and took him hostage at gunpoint. They kidnapped him in his own car. Abhishek was recovered safely from near a garage at Rajapul Bhatta under S K Puri police station area in Patna around 4.30am on Friday.Police arrested Atish Kumar Singh (30), Akash Kumar (27) and Navin Kumar (34) for kidnapping Abhishek.Police said the kidnappers had made a ransom call of Rs20 lakh to his elder brother Jyoti Kumar, who lives in Sheikhpura. The trio had tied Abhishek’s mouth with a piece of cloth and kept him inside an SUV when the police surrounded them. A loaded pistol, five cellphones and three vehicles used in the kidnapping, including Atish’s SUV and the one used by Abhishek, were seized. The kidnappers had abandoned Abhishek’s car in Danapur railway station parking.Rupaspur police station SHO (incharge) Ranjan Kumar said the kidnappers had first approached the apartment guard with photograph of Abhishek’s car stating that they want to trace its owner as he had dashed against their car. “The guard, without applying much brain, took them to the flat where Abhishek lived. Then the kidnappers pulled out a pistol and took Abhishek hostage at gunpoint soon after he opened the door. They took away the cellphones of Abhishek’s two roommates and guard. However, before leaving, they returned the guard’s cellphone and locked the trio inside the flat,” he said.He said the roommates informed Abhishek’s brother by using the guard’s cellphone after which he informed the police about kidnapping. “Atish had shifted to Kolkata after selling all properties in Patna. Akash hails from Motihari and Navin is from Biharsharif in Nalanda district. They are being interrogated,” he said.When asked, City SP (West) Ashok Mishra said Jyoti informed the police around 12.30am. “Jyoti is engaged in construction work with several builders in Patna and some other districts. The kidnappers had information that he was earning good money and targeted his younger brother for ransom,” he said.The SP said Jyoti told the police had he makes maps for builders but police were gathering more details about his profession.Mishra said further investigation is going on as how many more persons were involved in the kidnapping and how the entire plot was hatched.